Examples of Trade Union or Labour NGOs Civil Society Challenge Fund Projects
Examples of Trade Union or Labour NGOs Civil Society Challenge Fund Projects:
Reversing the Erosion of Trade Union Rights and Deterioration of Working Conditions in the Banana Exporting Communities of Latin America:
This main aim of this project was to strengthen seven independent banana workers' union organisations [1] in five key exporting regions of Latin America in order to increase their capacity to secure - or maintain - trade union and labour rights in the process of erosion and in the face of the economic concentration in the supply chain and structural overproduction in the international banana economy. The programme in Latin America focused on organising, educating and training hitherto unorganised men and women workers, giving them legal and organisational support in defence of their rights, seeking to bring the banana industry to the negotiating table at a local and regional level and on developing long-term solidarity linkages with the trade union movement in Britain and Ireland. Evaluation of the project identified that progress was made through the strengthening of banana workers' unions, which were better able to defend workers' rights and to conduct increasingly sophisticated advocacy work both nationally and internationally. (This project has ended)
Consolidating Banana Workers' Rights: Latin America:
Banana Link currently coordinates a CSCF funded project to consolidate banana workers' rights in Latin America, working in close partnership with seven trade unions in five countries [2] and developing achievements of a previous project to support the capacity building of banana workers' unions following years of repression. The project aims to improve the social and economic well-being of banana workers and thus contribute to poverty alleviation in banana exporting communities. The majority of project funds go directly to our partners to finance organising work on the ground and to provide training, education and legal support to union members in order to negotiate directly with employers. Thus strengthened, our democratic grassroots trade union partners are better able to contribute to securing changes to policies at national, regional, continental and international levels. The initiative also aims to ensure that women workers are not discriminated against in their employment and to increase the decision-making power of women with the union organisations, as well as building alliances at national levels and consolidating international linkages aims to increase the advocatory power of the unions. We work with a number of British trade unions [3] , notably those organising workers in retail and distribution, to build solidarity between workers at either end of the international banana supply chain. Awareness-raising and solidarity-building in the UK aims to open space for the Latin American unions' voices to be heard. Activities include speaker tours, delegation visits, education workshops, information dissemination and the production of regular publications to create a stronger solidarity action network and contribute to the strategy of British trade unions to develop their educational work and international solidarity work. For more information please visit the campaigns section of www.bananalink.org.uk
Commonwealth Trade Union Council:
Bangladesh Women's Development Project:
The Commonwealth Trade Union Council developed a project in co-operation with the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, to which all the national trade union centres in Bangladesh are affiliated. The two-year project aimed to increase the involvement and representation of women in trade union activities through a programme of education, organising and political lobbying. The CTUC has closed but further information about the project is available from awatson@tuc.org.uk
Zimbabwe Informal Economy Project:
The Commonwealth Trade Union Council developed a project in co-operation with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. The project aimed to strengthen the organisation and representation of informal sector workers in Zimbabwe through building alliances between informal sector workers and trade unionists. At a national workshop held in November 2002, it was agreed that the best way forward for the informal sector in Zimbabwe was to form a national organisation for the informal sector, which would operate in parallel with the ZCTU. This organisation, known as the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association was established and continues to operate today.
The CTUC has closed but further information about the project is available from awatson@tuc.org.uk
Nigeria Women's Development Project:
The Commonwealth Trade Union Council developed a project in co-operation with the Nigeria Labour Congress, building on the experience gained in working with women in Bangladesh. The project aims to increase the involvement and influence of women within the trade union movement and to build links between women workers and women's NGOs. When the CTUC closed, responsibility for the project implementation was taken on by TUC Aid. Further information about the project is available from bkothalawala@tuc.org.uk
Labour Rights Education and Leadership Training Programme:
The Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labourers' Federation (BAFLF) aims to facilitate the organisation of agricultural workers employed on government and private farms through campaigning, training, advocacy and networking activities. The Labour Rights Education and Leadership Training Project aimed to support efforts of BAFLF to increase awareness of labour rights and the capacity of landless agricultural workers to organise through their participation in literacy classes, leadership training, campaigns and lobbying activities. It also helped the institutional strengthening of BAFLF and helped raise their profile. The project has now finished, but BAFLF continues campaigning and has recently secured a long overdue wage increase for permanent farm workers from 70-75 Taka to 120 Taka (about 40%).
Improving the Rights and Livelihoods of Women Garment Workers:
Hundreds of thousands of jobs In South and South-East Asia are dependent on the textile, garments and related industries, however, the huge wealth created have had little impact to making sustainable improvements to the livelihoods of ordinary women workers and their families. This project aimed to support TIE-Asia's (the Transnational Information Exchange) efforts to establish and develop democratic workers organizations in South and South-East Asia in order to promote and implement the rights of mainly women workers and in doing improve their livelihoods. They do this through training of local trade unions and worker groups, capacity building, workers exchanges, research and advocacy to governments. A crucial part of the project is to build solidarity with international organizations.
Global Network - The International Alliance of NGOs and Trade Unions:
The Global Network is a worldwide alliance of trade unions, NGOs and social movements. It was established in 2001 by Unison, SOLIDAR and IFWEA in order to bring together organisations concerned about the effects of globalisation on people's lives. The Global Network currently works in 29 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Global Network brings people together to promote a constructive engagement with the processes of globalisation and to improve the capacity of civil society activists to engage in dialogue with key decision makers at the national, regional and international levels. This is achieved through seminars, workshops, the publication of educational material for trade unions, worker organisations and NGOs, and the development of educational programmes. The project is currently in its second round of funding from the CSCF. Lessons from the first phase indicated areas for that needed strengthening and the funding is assisting the Network to bed down and mature. Further information about the project is available from Ian Derry at Solidar Ian@solidar.org.
Southern & East Africa Organising in the Informal Economy Project
The Objective is to promote and support the effective democratic organisation and representation of informal economy workers within Southern and East Africa. This includes new and strengthened democratic organisations representing informal workers; new models of organisation based on local, national and regional partnerships between trade unions and informal economy workers' organisations; increased participation of women in the leadership of unions and associations representing informal economy workers; new regional partnerships between unions, associations, NGOs, and other major stakeholders to strengthen workers' organisation in the informal economy. Ending in 2008, the project objectives will be met through regional training workshops, local and national training programmes, regional seminars, production of new training material. Further information can be gained from Dave Spooner at dave.spooner@ifwea.org.
[1] Ecuador: FENACLE; Nicaragua: ATC and FETRABACH; Honduras: COSIBAH; Guatemala: UNSITRAGUA; Costa Rica: SITRAP and SITAGAH.
[2] As above
[3] GMB, TGWU, USDAW, UNISON, STUC, NTUC, BWTUC, AMICUS
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